Rue Mercière and the Traditional Bouchons Lyonnais

Why is it significant?

Inhale the mouthwatering aromas of sizzling sausages, caramelized onions, and roasted garlic wafting through the narrow, bustling corridor of Rue Mercière.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Inhale the mouthwatering aromas of sizzling sausages, caramelized onions, and roasted garlic wafting through the narrow, bustling corridor of Rue Mercière. Originally the main north-south commercial artery through the Presqu'île from Roman times through the Middle Ages, this pedestrian street was named for the mercers and haberdashers who sold silks, ribbons, and precious foreign goods here. In the sixteenth century, the street became the intellectual and printing capital of Europe, where over a hundred print shops operated by humanists like Sébastien Gryphe published early editions of Erasmus, Rabelais, and classic Greek texts for scholars across Christendom. Today, the street is universally renowned as the gastronomic paradise of Lyon, lined cheek-by-jowl with historic bouchons—the traditional, boisterous bistros celebrated for authentic Lyonnais specialties like pike quenelles in crayfish sauce, saucisson brioché, cervelle de canut, and Côtes du Rhône red wine served in heavy glass pots. Weathered wooden shopfronts, checkered red-and-white tablecloths, and animated dining chatter create an irresistible festive charm that enchants travelers, locals, and discerning food critics from around the world.

Look above the cafe awnings at numbers 64 and 68: hidden behind the dining terraces stand splendid sixteenth-century Renaissance facades with mullioned stone windows, spiral staircase turrets, and interior traboules that connected to the Saône quays.

The unique word bouchon originates from an old tradition where tavern owners hung a small bundle or bouchon of straw or pine branches above their doorway to signal that fresh wine was being served inside.

Listen to the lively clatter of plates: the authentic culinary soul of Lyon was forged by the legendary Mères Lyonnaises, formidable female home cooks who established their own independent bistros in the nineteenth century.

Walk south toward the center of the street and turn into the monumental Place des Jacobins.